The Changing Face of Agricultural Education

2. The Changing Face of Agricultural Education

3. Classroom & Laboratory Instruction

4. Premises: • An effective agricultural education program is based on sound instruction activities

5. Classroom & Laboratory Instruction Leadership (FFA)

6. Premises: • An effective agricultural education program is based on sound instruction activities All students should belong to the FFA Organization and participate in leadership activities

7. Classroom & Laboratory Instruction Leadership (FFA) Experiential Learning (SAE)

8. Premises: • An effective agricultural education program is based on sound instruction activities All students should belong to the FFA Organization and participate in leadership activities • All students should participate in an experiential learning situation (conduct a supervised experience program)

9. Research on SAEs

10. Background Information • Supervised agricultural experience program participation is positively related to student achievement (Cheek, Arrington, Carter & Randell, 1994)

11. Background Information • According to Dyer and Osborne (1996), the quality and size of SAE programs has been found to be significantly and positively related to • the length of teacher contract, • travel funds available, • parental support and encouragement, • pupil-teacher ratio, • Students’ career plans, • availability of released time (Gibson, 1988),

12. Background Information • According to Dyer and Osborne (1996), the quality and size of SAE programs has been found to be significantly and positively related to • number of years the student was in the agriculture program (Anydoh & Barrick, 1990; Gibson, 1988), • amount of time the teacher teaches agriculture courses, • the teacher’s involvement in adult education programs, and • time devoted to SAEs (Warren & Flowers, 1992).

13. The Changing Face of Agriculture

14. 1880-1917Pre-Smith Hughes Era

18. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • In 1880 • Population 50,155,783 • Farm population 22, 981,000 • Percent farm population 45.82% • Number of farms 4,009,000 • Average acres per farm 134 • Total Farm acreage 537,206,000

19. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • In 1900 • Population 75,994,226 • Farm population 29,414,000 • Percent farm population 38.71% • Number of farms 5,740,000 • Average acres per farm 147 • Total Farm acreage 843,780,000

20. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • Did HS agricultural education classes exist before Smith-Hughes? • Agricultural education was controlled at the local and/or state level • Nearly 2/3 of the states had policies encouraging agricultural education • Agricultural education was both vocational and informational

21. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • What significant event (agricultural education) occurred in 1862? • Morrill Act of 1862 – established the land grant college system • Secondary school agricultural education tried to model this system • Dormitory schools • School farms, etc. • Enrolled too many students • Provided limited farm activities

22. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • Only 20% of the students went to high school • Only 3% graduated from high school • How many farms employed 50 men? • Many of these schools did have 50 plus students • The principle of hands-on experience was not satisfactorily used in this environment.

23. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • In 1908 Massachusetts provided funding for the Smith's Agricultural School at Northampton, Massachusetts • Hired Rufus Stimson as the director and farm manager • Rufus Stimson convinced the trustees to allow him to sell the cows, operate the school without a dormitory, and cease using school property for farming purposes.

24. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • According to Stimson, the students arriving each day were concerned with problems they faced on their own home farms. He did not want the students returning home contemplating farming problems they had encountered during school hours. He wanted their attention to be focused sharply on home farming problems and their solutions, based on well-studied programs of work and management.

25. Pre-Smith Hughes Era • This was the beginning of the “home project” concept of vocational agriculture – what we now know as supervised agricultural experience programs

26. 1917 – early 1960sSmith Hughes Era

29. Smith Hughes Era • In 1950 • Population 151,132,000 • Farm population 25,058,000 • Percent farm population 16.58% • Number of farms 5,388,000 • Average acres per farm 216 • Total Farm acreage 1,163,808,000 • Irrigated acres 25,634,869 • One farmer fed 27

30. 1963 – Late 1970s Vocational Education Act of 1963 Era

32. Vocational Education Act of 1963 Era • Inclusion of non-farm agricultural occupations in the curriculum • Females returned to the program • Agricultural education moved more toward the vocational model • Started to see the SAE declining in importance in secondary agriculture programs

33. Late 1970s/Mid 1980s to PresentGreen Book Era

37. Green Book Era • In 1985, a committee under the direction of the National Academy of Sciences was appointed to study agricultural education in secondary schools

38. Understanding Agriculture…. Findings & Recommendations • Vocational agriculture programs have had a positive effect on thousands of people • Much of the focus and content of many vocational agriculture programs is outdated • The focus of agricultural education must change • All students (k-12) must receive some systematic instruction about agriculture

39. Green Book Era • 1990 • Population 261,423,000 • Farm population 2,987,552 • Percent farm population 1.14% • Number of farms 2,143,150 • Average acres per farm 461 • Total Farm acreage 987,992,150 • Irrigated acres 49,404,000 • One farmer fed 129

40. United States Population Trends

41. United States Farm Population Trends

42. Conclusions • Agriculture has changed since the 1900s • Therefore, SAEs must also change • The concept of production and agricultural placement SAEs for everyone is not feasible • We should not abandon the concepts of production and agricultural; however • Every secondary student should study agriculture and • Everyone should have an SAE.

43. The Answer???

44. Exploratory and Research SAEs • Exploratory SAEs • Learn about the 'big picture' of agriculture and its many related careers. • Research/Experimentation and Analysis SAEs • Conduct research or analyze information to discover new knowledge.

45. Possible Research SAEs • Assessment of stream quality • Assessment of wildlife populations • Effect of different fertilizer levels on rates of growth/production • Effect of salination on germination rates • Effect of curing mixtures on nitrite/nitrate levels in hams and bacons • Comparison of tomato production rates between hydroponics and traditional production methods

46. Career Exploration SAEs • Traditional research on: • Jobs • Salary • Education • Location • Working conditions, etc. • May include: • Shadowing • Field Experience

47. Concerns • What type of records will need to be kept? • Log of hours • Research report • Potential journal article • How will research and career exploration SAEs fit into the traditional FFA concept?

48. FFA Degree Requirements

49. Chapter FFA Degree • You must have earned and productively invested at least $150, or • Have worked (other than class schedule time) 45 hours in a directed laboratory experience program, or • A combination thereof. • That is: • An average of 1.25 hours per week over 36 weeks (4- 9 week periods)

50. WV State FFA Degree • You must have earned and productively invested at least $1000, or • Have worked (other than class schedule time) 600 hours in a directed laboratory experience program, or • A combination thereof. • That is: • Average of 5.77 hours per week (104 weeks) • Average 8.33 hours per week for 36 weeks/year for 2 years